FORT CARSON, Colo., Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Burns & McDonnell, a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture and construction firm, joined IICON Construction and representatives of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to break ground recently on the Space Battalion Readiness Center in Colorado.

The $15.2 million facility will include 45,170 square feet of space on 15 acres of Fort Carson to host the 117^th Space Battalion of the Colorado Army National Guard (CO ARNG) and two companies performing satellite transmitted digital imagery for warfighting operations.

“This facility will serve as a state-of-the-art epicenter of Army National Guard Space Operations,” said Army National Guard LTC Michael Lane, Commander of the 117th Space Battalion. “We will train, learn, improve and, if necessary, operate from this location to support warfighters across the world. We are especially happy to join the Fort Carson community and our active duty colleagues in the 1st Space Brigade, where our proximity will enable many multi-component training opportunities. Breaking ground on this new facility is a long-sought milestone that will help drive a new level of readiness for Colorado Army National Guard Space Soldiers.”

As a centralized location for federal, state and local personnel, the center will provide a training ground for space forces to conduct continuous global space force enhancements, space support, space control and contingency activity.

The operations and training facility design includes mission-oriented team collaboration centers, technology-advanced workstations and equipment storage space. In addition, implementation of upgraded telecommunications infrastructure, geothermal HVAC systems, LED lighting, stormwater solutions and more will be aligned with standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

“This was a day of celebration, breaking ground on a new Readiness Center for the 117th Space Battalion,” said Darren Brand, project manager for the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “The Colorado Army National Guard continues to provide readiness for the state of Colorado and our Construction and Facilities Management Office (CFMO) continually strives to construct world-class facilities for our current soldiers and future generations.”

Burns & McDonnell serves as the prime architecture and engineering firm, providing project management, quality control and design services in partnership with its subcontractors. In addition, the firm is providing civil, structural, mechanical, fire protection and telecommunications engineering. Groundbreaking was July 19, and once the facility is complete — expected in October 2020 — Burns & McDonnell will conduct commissioning and building envelope testing to confirm the project’s overall performance meets its defined design, construction and programming criteria.

“Burns & McDonnell is proud to partner with the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and subcontractors to design and construct a state-of-the-art facility for military operations,” said Mark Lichtwardt, senior vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in Denver. “The facility will play a key role in protecting our communities and people for years to come.”

Burns & McDonnell ranks No. 1 among top design firms in Colorado and Wyoming, according to Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mountain States.

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About Burns & McDonnell
Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of 7,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune‘s 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com.

About the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs provides guidance, support and legislative coordination to the division of the Colorado National Guard, Civil Air Patrol and Veterans Affairs.

Contact:  Lydia Schroeder, Burns & McDonnell
812-630-0796
[email protected]

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SOURCE Burns & McDonnell